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 Replies: 14 / Views: 2,189 |
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Valued Member
United States
73 Posts |
How do you tell the difference between copper and zinc.
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
5786 Posts |
If you are referring to Lincoln cents it is the weight.
Zinc cents should be 2.5 grams
Copper cents should be 3.1 grams.
Another way is to do an XRF scan to determine the metallic content.
Words of encouragement are one of the major food groups.
We need to consume them regularly to thrive and grow.
Edited by Petespockets55
09/20/2022 06:51 am
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Bedrock of the Community
Canada
21637 Posts |
Just weigh it.
Copper= 3.11g
Zinc= 2.5 g
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
19215 Posts |
Weight using an accurate scale, as above.
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Moderator
United States
56855 Posts |
Do not forget to factor in mint tolerance and wear loss. John1  |
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Valued Member
United States
218 Posts |
If you don't have a scale sufficiently precise to detect the difference, you can devise a makeshift balance scale just using common household items.
Take a pencil (a hexagonal one, I should emphasize - not a fully round one) and center a ruler on top of it. Put a cent you know to be copper on one side of the ruler, and your 1982 cent on the other. If the 1982 cent end is sticking up in the air, and the end with the known copper cent is now touching the surface underneath it, you know your 1982 cent weighs less - and is therefore zinc.
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Valued Member
 United States
73 Posts |
Thanks guys, but here's a good one..... What would wieght the same as copper and is used? I know this isn't copper, and don't think it's zinc either. This may be the answer to my ' silver 71 Kennedy that y'all say doesn't exist. Check out the pic  |
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Moderator
United States
34428 Posts |
Yikes, that looks highly damaged, which is a shame. What does it weigh?
"If you climb a good tree, you get a push."
-----Ghanaian proverb
"The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed."
-----King Adz
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Valued Member
United States
73 Posts |
3.1 it came out of a toilet seat lid I bought. 1883 Morgan, several 64 Washington quarters in Ms condition, 64- 71 Kennedy halves ,also pristine along with Penny's nickels including buffalos,.... Here's a pic  |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
62064 Posts |
If you take a pre 1982 cent and a post 1983 cent, and place in each hand, I can feel the weight differences. I had someone try that, that was not a collector and he could tell the difference also. But the weight is the differences as mentioned above. Visually you can often see the copper plating over the zinc dust on the early Zincoln's. The surface looks rough.  This was an issue for years until they figured out the cause. The zinc dust under the plating. From time to time, we still these this on some examples. But a better rinse fixed most of these issues in the past early years. (Which wasn't fixed until several years had passed on the coin going forwards) |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
701 Posts |
Drop a copper penny and a zinc penny on a hard surface. I can tell a difference in the sounds. Can you?
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
62064 Posts |
One rings and the other thuds like it was plastic. The thud is the zinc cent.
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Moderator
United States
97618 Posts |
yup, weight and drop tests are good ways to determine the difference of 1982 cent coins. if dated after 1982 - Zinc, if dated before 1982 - Copper.
Another much more destructive (and not recommended) would be to cut it in half and see if there is a silver colored metal inside it. But please DON'T cut up a coin.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5786 Posts |
Hold on a minute.
Did the OP just tell us this damaged coin is from the toilet seat, is a 1971, and has a silver color in the center?
Please include an image of both surfaces, a weight, and a clear closeup of the area in question.
Next step might be to get an XRF scan done of it if you think it's not copper. Pawn shops and jewelers might be able to do one.
EDIT: ps. What did the lid set you back?
Words of encouragement are one of the major food groups.
We need to consume them regularly to thrive and grow.
Edited by Petespockets55
09/20/2022 9:07 pm
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Moderator
United States
34428 Posts |
Good point @pete, I'm not sure that we know the date on this cent. Can you please post overall pics of the cent @brick? Thx.
"If you climb a good tree, you get a push."
-----Ghanaian proverb
"The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed."
-----King Adz
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Replies: 14 / Views: 2,189 |
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Posted 09/20/2022 06:51 am
